One problem frequently encountered by fitness and recreational sports enthusiasts is the problem of where to keep certain personal affects or necessary items such as keys, money or credit cards, or other such items, while participating in a chosen physical activity. An obvious solution is to carry such items in a pocket on the individual's apparel. However, not all sportswear includes pockets, and even if pockets are available, the presence of the items may distract the wearer, be uncomfortable, or cause slight but unacceptable deviations in a participants performance. Furthermore, objects may fall from the pockets and become lost.
Many prior art solutions have been advanced for carrying such articles on the participant's shoes. For example, previous solutions have included the use of pouches that may be attached to various parts of the upper portion of the shoe, above the sole of the shoe. The problem with these solutions is that many of the prior art designs flap loosely on the shoe, are difficult or inconvenient to attach or remove from the shoe, and may negatively impact the appearance of the shoe while worn. Furthermore, the pouch or contents thereof may be susceptible to being damaged or lost during some kinds of sports activities.
In order to address some of these problems, a number of prior art shoes have been devised that incorporate a pouch formed integrally on the upper portion of the shoe. While these designs overcome some of the disadvantages of other prior art pouches, such pouches and their contents may still be susceptible to damage and may not adequately provide for the security of the stored items. For instance, if the shoe is worn during a workout at a gym, the pouch or the contents of the pouch may become damaged by accidental contact between the shoe of the wearer and gym equipment. If the pouch is damaged or not secured, the contents of the pouch may fall out and become lost.
What is needed is a shoe pocket that is an integral part of the shoe, that will securely hold the objects intended to be stored, that can be used quickly and easily to stow or retrieve the stored items without the need to manipulate other portions of the shoe, and that will adequately protect the contents from damage or loss during use.